The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-09-28
Mates Seal Hunt OF Newfoundland.

land.
Yes, grandmother" said Nate Far
ley; "Cap'n Scoresby said he could
give me something to do on board the
steamer. Ha, grandmother, l tod him
if was boy was big enough to pick
up small seal, anyway. He laughed. ;"
ANY other boy going?"
@Shouldn't wonder. Obed Jones is
going"
Il don't like Obed."
How could she like lazy, fighting,
swearing boy?
~Oh, well, grandmother, I needn't
have anything to do with him.
AS little as possible, L h2pe.'
Grandm ther Farley, with whom
Nate lived, now left the little kitchen,
and slowly climbed the stairs leading
to her snug chamber under the roof.
When she came down she held IN her
hand a small DO k.
"There, Nate" said the old lady, is
Your graudmother's little Bible, and |
want you to take it with you and read
it every day"
Il will, grandmother.
"They say the steamer you 60 in has
sheathing Of armor to protect her
against the ice."
"Yes, grandmother"
"Well, want to give you an armo1
that will help you ward OF bad infn-
ences you may meet"
II will read it every day."
Nate Farley and Obed Jones were
going off in a steamer after seals. The
vessel was peculiarly equipped for her
work among the ice-felds, where she
would find the seals SO desirable as
booty. While the steamer was sheathed
with heavy armor, the prov was a
strong steel wedge that would go crash
ing through the ice. If the latter tried
to squeeze the steamer, in return for
this stab with her penetrating prov OF
steel, there was the heavy armor to re-
sist any such embrace. It is desirable
that a seal-vessel shall be roomy, to
bring home as much prey rs possible,
and 4 big vessel can stow away from
thirty to thirty-fve thousand seals.
She must have big force to capture SC
many, and big ship will have crew
numbering from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty men. Everything at
last was ready for the voyage, and
Nate and Obed stood on the steamers
deck, eagerly waiting for the hour OF
departure.
Cast off there!" came the final Or
der, and the steamers engines began
to pant and tug. The harbor of It.
Johns was quickly trave:sed by this
energetic seal-hunter, and before her
was the vide, open sea, its blue waves
tufted with crests, white as the SHOWS
of January. The last thing in the
sorld that ship sometimes wishes tc
see is ice, but when the lockout now
saw foe, he gave julilant shout that
threw the crew into intense excitement.
4 field of lie meant the headquarters
Of multitude Of seals.
1t was morning, and Nate was read
ing grandmother's Bible, when the
lookout sighted ice Obed saw Nate
bending over his l.ible. He did not
himself read the book, and he id not
enjoy the sight of another's reading.
1t was rebukc to his own neglect.
Come, parson." he shouted. "They
have sighted ice, and that means seals.
Leave YOUR book and come and see
what is going en-.
lust want to finish this said Nate,
who knew well enough, II he now Left,
he would become so interested in
watching the ice that he would not be
likely to return to his reading. Il will
be out very soon. We shall have plep
tv Of time to see ice.
Obed did not fancy this reply.
Nonsense, parson. Come OUT"
"Will, very soon, " repl ed Nate.
Obed was now angry.
"There!" he sai,i, stepping up tc
Nate. Let the old book co.
He gave the Bib'e rude blow that
sent it whizZing out of Mates hands.
Nate sprang to his feet, his face flush.
ing with Indignation, while Obed
rushed away Several Of the crew saw
the whole affair.
I'D lust ioiier him." said Harry
Windham, :. big, bony seaman. I'D
give him one good pound.
Nate, though, picked up his Bible
and sat down again.
The chap has got no spirit, re-
marked Harry. He won't do to catch
scale"
WELL said Nate quietly, that re.
mains to be seen.
Here Harry and his mates laughed,
another Big tar, Dick Smith, saying
you'll do to catch seals in the back
yard at home.
Nate only said, You wait" and went
on reading. He heard one OF the men
Dick Smith, say. "A boy that amt got
no sperrit," and the blood crimsoned
Mates cheek. He looked up, looked at
Dick, and then read on.
When he went out to see the ice, he
had an abundance OF time to look at 1t.
One vast field of ice. stretching far as
the vision reached, was before the
steamer. Its engines did not stop,
though. They continued to tug and
croan. and into the tlor, among lag
blocks a;.l little blocks, crashed the
steamer. As tn foe hcaved with the
swelling sea, heavy mass woHld occa-
sionallv crash against the steamer,
shaking the timbcrs, but the sturdy
str cture cared as little for this as